Stretching-frame.



H. DE L. IROVER.

'STRETCHING FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1915.

1,200,052, Patented oct. 3,1916.

HOWARD DE LonUlvr TRovEn, or SALEM, OREGON.

STRETCHING-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteaoet; 3, 191e.

Application led September 27, 1915. Serial No. 52,938.

To all whom Lf 11mg/ concern Be it known that I, HOWARD D. TRovER, acitizen of the United States', residing at Salem, in the county ofMarion and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Stretching-Frames; and I do declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to improvements in stretching frames particularlyused for drying and stretching sheets of iiexible. materials, and hasrfor one object to provide a light and portable device which, becausey ofits extreme simplicity, can be very inexpensively manufactured.

Another object is to provide a frame of this character in which a padfor dampening the sheets to be stretched is disposed.

A further object is to provide a frame :from which the dampening pad maybe quickly and easily removed without removing the sheet to be stretchedwhen said sheet has been suiiiciently moistened.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides incertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts which will hereinafter be more particularly described and claimedand shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 represents avperspective view of my frame in open position, thewet pad being removed; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of myimproved device; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the back thereof, and Fig.

4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

While I have illustrated this improved frame as being used particularlyfor stretching and drying sheets of flexible materials, yet it isevident that it may be put to a great many other uses, such as makinglet-v ter copies, blue prints, or for vcrocheting, embroidering, orpainting on cloth or paper, and for various other purposes.

This device comprises a vpair of open frames 1 and 2 substantiallyrectangular in form and hinged on their long side by the hinges 3. Theuppermost frame has its edges surrounding the opening 4 beveled as shownat 5 to more readily allow the hand of the user to move over theflexible material without tiring the wrists. The lower face of thebottom frame adjacent the opening 6 therein is grooved as shown at 7 toprovide flanges upon which a removable hack 8 is adapted to rest.v AAsshown in the various figures, the back 8' .is somewhat smaller in sizethan the vopening4 in the upper frame 1. This back is held in operativeposition by anypreferreol means, but I preferably employ the turnbuckles 9 pivoted on said back and adapted to have one end thereofextended into notches 1.0 formed in the inner edges of the frame 2 whenthe back is in position. This arrangement of the turn buckles on theback sbest disclosed in Fig. 4.

In orderl to clamp the two frames to-y gether, suitable` clamping meansare provided around their edges, and inthe frames illustrated I use thehooks 11 `secured to one of the frames whic'hare adapted to colact withthe eyes 12 on the other frame.

The inner face of lthe frame 1 is provided around the opening 4 thereinwith the tongues 13 which are adapted to coact with similarly shapedgrooves 14 formed on the lower frame 2.

The back 8 is adapted to have placed thereon a normally wet pad 15 whichis substantially of the same size as or slightly smaller than said backin` order that said pad may be lremoved when the device is in operation,by removal of the back 8.

In using this invention, the pad 15 is thoroughly moistened beforeplacing it upon the back 8, and the sheet of material to be stretched isalso preferably, although not necessarily, moistened before placing iton the pad. This sheet S of flexible material must be of a sizesufficiently large to extend beyond the grooves formed on the lowerframe 2 in order that the tongues on theV upper frame Amay force theedges of said sheet S into the grooves to hold the sheet in position.After the sheet S has been placed on the pad and the frame 1 moved fromthe position shown in Fig. 1 to its closed-position and clamped by meansof the hooks and eyes `on the edges of the frame, the back 8 lmay beremoved by loosening the turn buckles 9, and the wety pad willv come outwith the back. It is obvious that this pad is allowed to stay betweenthe frames until the sheet S has become thoroughly moistened vin orderthat said sheet when drying, will shrink to a sufficient extent topresent a perfectly plane surface. After removing the pad, the back 8may be again placed in position or may be left out of the frame 2 untilthe sheet S is thoroughly dry.

When, however, the sheet is desired to be drawn upon or have paintapplied thereto, the back is first placed in position.

When it is desired to remove the sheet S it is simply necessary that thehooks be loosened and the frame l swung to an open position as shown inFig. l, when the sheet may be readily removed.

From this description of the constructionV said back between the frames,and means for clamping said frames together, said frames being designedto clamp a sheet of flexible material therebetween over said pad, the

latter being adapted to be withdrawn when' the back is removed from theframe.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of open hinged frames, aremovable back for one of said frames, a pad adapted to be placed onsaid bac-k between the frames, means for clamping said frames together,said frames being designed to clamp a sheet of flexible materialtherebetween over said pad, and means for securing the back in operativeposition, said back being removable to permit the pad to be withdrawn.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of open hinged frames, oneof said frames having grooves on its inner face adjacent the openingtherein, tongues on the other frame :tor coaction with said grooves, theouter face of the upper frame being beveled adjacent the openingtherein, a normally stationary removable back for said lower frame,means for securing the back in operative position, a pad adapted to beplaced on said back between thek frames, and means for clamping saidframes together, said frames being designed to clamp a sheet of flexiblematerial therebetween over said pad, the latter being adapted to bewithdrawn when the back is removed from the frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

'HOW'ARD DE LORUM TROVER.

Witnesses:

ANNA L. TROVER, Y DAVID C. BLooM.

Copies'of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

